QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate Visegrád 24 as Right-Biased due to its consistent promotion of conservative and nationalist narratives aligned with the political agendas of Poland and Hungary. We also rate them questionable based on their promotion of propaganda, conspiracy theories, unreliable sources, a lack of transparency, and over a dozen failed fact checks.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: Propaganda, Poor Sourcing, Conspiracy, Failed Fact Checks, Lack of Transparency
Bias Rating: FAR RIGHT (8.8)
Factual Reporting: LOW (7.5)
Country: Poland
MBFC’s Country Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: Medium Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Visegrád 24 is a social media-based news aggregator established in 2020, focusing on the Visegrad Group countries—Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—and broader Central and Eastern European affairs.
Despite describing itself as a platform for regional news, it is neither a verified account nor an official representation of the Visegrad Group. The account is often confused with the think tank Visegrad Insight, which specializes in analyzing Central and Eastern Europe. Please note that this report is based on the activity and content of Visegrád 24, as observed on its social media account. Visegrád 24 recently announced plans to launch a dedicated website at www.visegrad24.com.
Read our profile on Poland’s media and government.
Funded By / Ownership
Visegrád 24 operates anonymously, and its ownership and funding remain unclear. Investigations by Oko.press and Visegrad Insight revealed links to Polish nationalist circles, including Adam Starzyński and Stefan Tompson. The founder of Visegrád 24 is Stefan Tompson, a PR specialist who has been associated with Polish government-sponsored media projects.
Notably, as reported by Oko.press, some investigations pointed to Wojciech Pawelczyk, a former administrator of the banned far-right account BasedPoland, as being behind Visegrád 24. Pawelczyk is an associate of Jack Posobiec, a conservative journalist known for spreading misinformation, which indicates the platform’s connection to nationalist narratives.
Analysis / Bias
The platform gained attention during the Russian invasion of Ukraine for sharing curated news and updates. However, it has faced criticism for lacking transparency regarding its ownership and affiliations. For example, it once shared a map suggesting that Polish politicians discussed forming a Polish-Ukrainian statehood during the European Congress of Local Governments. This claim was debunked when the map was traced to a 2019 Reddit thread titled “Alternative History,” demonstrating its use of unverified material.
The content shared by Visegrád 24 consistently reflects a conservative and nationalist bias, often aligning with the political narratives of Poland and Hungary. It frequently amplifies right-wing perspectives, positively portraying leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán while criticizing Western European leaders and liberal policies.
According to Visegrad Insight, the platform serves as a megaphone for nationalist agendas, often prioritizing ideology over accuracy. The case of the fabricated map related to Polish-Ukrainian statehood illustrates its tendency to share misleading content, further solidifying its ideological stance.
Finally, as evidenced below in failed fact checks, Visegrad 24 frequently promotes right-wing propaganda and conspiracy theories that are routinely debunked.
Failed Fact Checks
- What’s going over here? Is it Pallyywood in action? – False
- Muslims and left-wing activists in Malmö clashed with law enforcement due to the participation of a single Israeli singer in Eurovision. – Misleading
- Leonardo Di Caprio donated 10M to Ukraine. – False
- Nadia’s book event was cancelled in Canada because ‘her story could promote Islamophobia. – False
- Taylor Swift’s private jet has been spray painted orange by ‘Just Stop Oil’ activists,” receiving 2.1 million views as of this writing. – False
- More failed fact-checks
Overall, we rate Visegrád 24 as Right Biased due to its consistent promotion of conservative and nationalist narratives aligned with the political agendas of Poland and Hungary. We also rate them questionable based on promoting propaganda, conspiracy theories, unreliable sources, a lack of transparency, and over a dozen failed fact checks. (M. Huitsing 11/22/2024)
Source: https://www.visegrad24.com/
Last Updated on November 22, 2024 by Media Bias Fact Check
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